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Chelsea's post-Liam Rosenior chapter kicks off this Sunday as they face Leeds United at Wembley in a high-stakes FA Cup semifinal showdown.
Following seven losses in eight outings, capped by a humiliating 3–0 thrashing at Brighton & Hove Albion in midweek, Rosenior was swiftly dismissed—with Calum McFarlane stepping in as interim boss for the second time this season, now through to the campaign's conclusion.
The 40-year-old, largely unfamiliar to the wider football world, faces the daunting challenge of steadying a troubled squad and guiding them to Wembley glory this weekend, though a mounting injury list has already presented him with significant selection dilemmas.
Injury Blows Left, Right and Center for Blues
Chelsea's difficult run has been further compounded by a string of injury setbacks. Estêvão has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury and faces a potential World Cup absence, while Cole Palmer and João Pedro have both been sidelined recently through knocks.
However, both Pedro and Palmer have returned to training ahead of the Leeds fixture, and McFarlane has confirmed they are in a "good place" going into Sunday's match. He remains "hopeful" that both will feature at Wembley.
Levi Colwill, Reece James, Jamie Gittens, and Filip Jörgensen are all set to miss the weekend, while Mykhailo Mudryk continues to serve his suspension following a provisional doping ban.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Leeds
GK: Robert Sánchez—The Spanish goalkeeper had a tough night on his return to the south coast on Tuesday and will be counting on a more solid defensive display from his teammates this time around.
RB: Malo Gusto—The absence of Reece James continues to be felt at right back, with Gusto's defensive shortcomings making him a pale shadow of his skipper.
CB: Wesley Fofana—A regular fixture in the defence when fit, the Frenchman has rarely convinced, particularly in recent weeks. This could be a defining moment for his Chelsea future.
CB: Trevoh Chalobah—Among Chelsea's more reliable performers at the Amex Stadium—admittedly a low bar—the Englishman will face a stern test against Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
LB: Marc Cucurella—A switch back to a conventional back four should see Cucurella slot back into his natural left back position.
DM: Andrey Santos—Despite Roméo Lavia starting in midweek, the manner of Chelsea's defeat makes a swift return for Santos almost inevitable. The Brazilian earned considerable trust from Rosenior both in west London and at Strasbourg and has largely delivered.
DM: Moisés Caicedo—Like Sánchez and Cucurella, Caicedo had little to enjoy on his return to Brighton. After a strong start to the campaign, his recent dip in form has become a growing concern.
RW: Cole Palmer—McFarlane will be eager to call upon Palmer this weekend, with Chelsea in desperate need of his creative spark in the attacking third.
AM: Enzo Fernández—This could well be Fernández's last shot at winning a trophy with Chelsea, with a summer departure increasingly on the cards.
LW: Pedro Neto—Chelsea have failed to score in six of their last seven matches, with attackers like Neto struggling to provide the necessary cutting edge. That said, the winger has netted four times in four FA Cup appearances this season.
ST: João Pedro—Chelsea are in urgent need of Pedro, one of the few bright spots this campaign, back in the starting XI on Sunday. The Brazilian is a clear step up from the out-of-form Delap.